Hardly a year goes by without a reconstruction of a historic sailing ship visiting the Columbia River. The Lady Washington is a frequent visitor, but I can also recall going on board Captain Cook’s Endeavour, and even meeting Captain Bligh on HMS Bounty–they all explored the pacific Ocean in the 1700s. Each ship was rigged… Continue reading Drake in Oregon? The Mystery Continues……
Category: NW boats and boaters
The 5′ Miniboat Crosses the Pacific Ocean
There’s a heated debate going on among yachtsmen in clubs and committees all over the world about how to recruit young people to the sport. “Get ‘em young” is one idea, and requires investments in dinghies, instructors, waterfront facilities, not to mention strong financial support from parents. In Astoria, at the mouth of the mighty… Continue reading The 5′ Miniboat Crosses the Pacific Ocean
Solo Canoeist Neal Moore Crosses America
On March 1, 2019– the day after the splendidly rowdy and irreverent Fisher Poets Gathering brought a hundred or so characters to the Hanthorn Cannery Museum in Astoria–another story teller showed up at the museum on Pier 39 at the east end of the waterfront. His name is Neal Moore and he also talks and… Continue reading Solo Canoeist Neal Moore Crosses America
When Slo-mo-shun Set the World Record in Seattle!
There’s not a week goes by these days without someone on some kind of a boat trying to set a record for speed or distance. They may using human/wind/motor/solar power, or trying some novelty event like “largest boat tie-up.” That’s an achievement that the public can easily understand! It was set by 1,651 boats on… Continue reading When Slo-mo-shun Set the World Record in Seattle!
Taki-Tooo, Sydney Mae II Tragedies Still Haunt Oregon’s Charter Fishing Business
2003: Wreck of the Taki Tooo on the Tillamook Bar If you’ve ever visited the NW coast, you must have seen the charter sportfishing boats lined up at the dock surrounded by enticing signs and banners showing happy customers posing with the big tuna, salmon or bottom fish they have caught. If you have been… Continue reading Taki-Tooo, Sydney Mae II Tragedies Still Haunt Oregon’s Charter Fishing Business
In 1958, a 1700′ Tsunami Hit Lituya Bay, Alaska
When I moved to Astoria almost a decade ago, I began to enjoy the pleasures of living on the edge of the continent, like the short trip to the beach, and the ever-changing weather. But when I attended a community meeting arranged by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, I encountered a less… Continue reading In 1958, a 1700′ Tsunami Hit Lituya Bay, Alaska
Botterjacht Groote Beer’s Nazi Past All a Fraud
Back in the 1990’s, I wrote what I assumed would be the final American story about the Groote Beer, the 52′ Dutch botterjacht that had spent many years on the west coast, especially on the Columbia River in the 1950s–when it had actually raced to Hawaii–and again in the 1990s–when it returned here and became… Continue reading Botterjacht Groote Beer’s Nazi Past All a Fraud
US Coast Guard 1934 Wooden MLB
Restoration of Wooden Lifeboat Is One Man’s Dream The Port of Astoria’s haul-out yard may not sound like a great place to find a boating story, but there is always a variety of working boats and yachts on the hard–and the chance there might be a story worth re-telling. For the 15 years I have… Continue reading US Coast Guard 1934 Wooden MLB
After 75 Years, Katie Ford Sails on in B.C.
In the summer of 2016, I received an email from the Canadian owner of the 44′ cruising yacht Katie Ford, inviting me to its 70th birthday party in Victoria B.C. This classic old sailing yacht was built in in 1946 at Astoria Marine Construction Company (AMCCO) and was considered the finest sailing vessel on the… Continue reading After 75 Years, Katie Ford Sails on in B.C.
2017: Old Astoria Pilot Boat Arrow 2 Returns
The pilot boat Arrow 2 disappeared from the Astoria waterfront in 2012 and has been greatly missed by the seamen who admired its unique traditional hull shape and general low-tech appearance. There was much speculation about its final disposition: would it become a reserve boat for Foss, be converted into a pleasure boat, or rust… Continue reading 2017: Old Astoria Pilot Boat Arrow 2 Returns